Sixty years ago, at the tender age of 29, Audrey Wade died of “abdominal” cancer.

On a personal note, Audrey was my mother’s best friend growing up and maid of honor when she and my father married. She was also my godmother. My mother still recalls — vividly — when she got the call that Audrey was gone — mere months after her own wedding.

Millions of Americans have Alzheimer’s or some other form of dementia. As baby boomers age, the number is expected to escalate. Family members usually provide most of the care, often while they are also trying to hold down a job and run their own households. Studies have documented the toll it can take — depression, anxiety and other serious medical problems. The Stewart Center, an adult day center for people living with dementia, recently opened in Falmouth.